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Monday, July 9, 2012

There is nothing quite so quintessentially Americana as the tinkling sounds of an approaching ice cream truck on a hot summer’s day. Generations of children have run, money clutched in hand, to catch the ice cream truck before it leaves their neighborhood. Starting this type of business is both exciting and rewarding.

The History of the Ice Cream Truck

Ice cream trucks have been making the neighborhood rounds since the early 1920’s when the maker of the original ice cream-on-a-stick, the Good Humor Bar first came on the scene. Growing popularity in the 1950’s, the ice cream truck business became a familiar sight in most American neighborhoods. The original ice cream trucks only carried one product - vanilla ice cream frozen on a stick and dipped in chocolate. Today’s ice cream trucks carry not just a wide assortment of ice cream, but candy, drinks, and other snacks as well.

Budgeting, Costs to Start Your Business and More

If you are considering becoming a part of this great American tradition and starting your own ice cream truck business, there are a few simple things to keep in mind:

Be sure to create or purchase an ice cream truck business plan. An industry specific business plan will act as a blueprint for the success of your new company.

The success of your ice cream truck business is very dependent on how you run the business. A well planned and well run business of this type can make as much as $500 in a day for just a few hours of work!

Apply for the proper permits and licenses for your location. In addition to a business license, you will need a special permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles to operate your ice cream truck.

Part of your ice cream truck business plan will include your start-up budget. Through ice cream truck market research you can determine how much it will cost to purchase everything that is needed to run an ice cream truck business.

Once you have created your star-up budget, start chopping! Your market research should have helped you decide on what size of an ice cream truck you want to operate and now you can find the right one to fit your needs.

Contact your local Health Department. Your ice cream truck will need to be inspected on a regular basis because you are selling food.

Establish your ice cream truck route and stick to it. Your weekly route should include areas where there a lot of families with children and several parks or other public areas with a lot of kids. Once you have set your route and weekly schedule, keep to it so that your customers can begin to expect you. This way you will build up a regular and consistent client base.